Were swords only used by nobles in europe?

Most hoplites had swords as well, so no not in antiquity.
Swords were restricted because of price, but not by social status. Anybody who was rich enough could have one.

>but not by social status. Anybody who was rich enough could have one.
Wrong, they were indeed restricted to freemen in the HRE, Serfs couldn't have them.

swerds n sheet. I am interested in te evolution of swords, how diferent cultures had diferent styles and unique specialization and how swords, armor and other historical weapons were made. In fact I am very interested in the manufacturing process of anithig metalurgic related. Idk, hit me. Also pdfs are very apreciated.

>Most hoplites had swords as well, so no not in antiquity.
Well, yes, but xiphos were almost dagger size swords and they were not an status weapon. I think that that role were fullfiled by the hoplon and helmet. Nevertheless, in celtic, italic, german tribes, swords were high status object along with armour.

Puh, difficult, I'd say start with the beginning at myarmoury.com/features.html
Then maybe have a look at Peter Johnsson and his work peterjohnsson.com/category/notebook/
And of course the presentation he gave a couple years ago youtube.com/watch?v=nyAc5HbUuqw
And thats like the very basics, I have like at least a dozen books on each of your questions, and I have like a very modest library compared with some of the more hardcore guys I know.

>myarmoury.com/features.html
Well, yes, I know that site, I shoul lurk in there more.
>Peter Johnsson
Yes I know him and his work. He is the best in his craft. I dind know that his site were up again. Las time I checked was "in the making".
>YouToube
Already saw that video, is fucking great.
Also, do you have his book in any digital format? Cant find it any where and I am desperate to read it. I can buy it, because a live in a third world country.

Is there any antiquity sword typology? (other than the clasic gladius one)

Also, you should check todsstuff.co.uk and his youtoube chanel. He have some info in his site.

Greek swords were gladius sized, they were definitely short but they were swords rather than daggers and they fought with them like you do with swords.
Kinda like wakizashi are swords even though they are fairly short (55cm).

Sword aren't define if they are "social status item", this term is quite overblown, just like the "sidearm" thing. Swords are social status items like everything, like clothes and shoes, this by itself doesn't grant them something specific compare to other weapons.

Ok, then you might want to try this site: tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/index.html
the html/navigation is a fucking nightmare (use tabs), but the source material is class, researched down to early metallurgical processes, sword morphologies etc.
I would have some book recommendations, based on the languages you speak, but keep in mind all those antique arms books are usually insanely pricey and you rather want to check them out from a library.

>Greek swords were gladius sized
I mean that they were short for medieval standar. You can find rondel daggers of that lenght
>they were definitely short but they were swords rather than daggers and they fought with them like you do with swords.
Actually, a xiphos is a very diferent sword than a arming sword for example. Even a viking era sverd wich were used in conjuntion with large shields are very diferent and potentially they were used in diferent ways.
>Sword aren't define if they are "social status item", this term is quite overblown, just like the "sidearm" thing. Swords are social status items like everything, like clothes and shoes, this by itself doesn't grant them something specific compare to other weapons.
In bronze age swords were weapons of the ruling class. The same in the antiquity with some exceptions until the "viking era". Later they became cheaper because off the advances in metalurgic work. At the end of the dark ages they became more and common in lower classes.
I didnt understand what do you mean with "sidearm thing".

Why do you compare the greek swords to medieval swords that are 1500 years older or so?
Of course they are going to be shorter and very different, why wouldn't they? Doesn't mean they weren't swords.

Besides, we are getting off-topic, subject was swords and nobility, ancient greeks among many many other cultures did have some non-nobles soldiers wielding swords (athenian hoplites for the example), that's all.

>this by itself doesn't grant them something specific compare to other weapons.
Depends a bit, like in early medieval germanic societies, you will often see a Thrall walk around with an axe, a knife or even bow and arrow, but you will never ever see a Thrall have a sword. Because privilege of the freeborn.

>hey were indeed restricted to freemen in the HRE
This probably was different in every single principality of the HRE.

no spears were just easier for untrained soldiers to use
nobles got horses and armor

> Does not mean they were not swords
I never said that they werent swords, I only described it. Later I just made a point to your reply talking about the usage of different swords, wich is important to the main point wich is ...

What was swords used for?
-They were almost always secondary arms, back up arms, being the primary weapon usually some kind of pole arm (like a spear, lance, halbard) or maybe some range weapon (bow, crossbow, etc). Yes, the Romans used the gladius as primary weapons, but that's an exception. Also, they were almost always used with some kind of shield, being the later medieval time with the full plate armor common the end of this trend for the knights.
-They were used for self defense and for dueling. And I am not only referring to rapier / smallsword duels. You see, the sword was the weapon of choice when wars were fought mostly by relative small warband clashes, when each individual warrior challenge for a duel another one, looking for fame. Those who were richer had swords, shields and better armors.

Also, like I said before, in the antiquity and the early medieval period, swords needed a big amount of resources to be made, while spear heads, axes, and such were easy and required less iron / steel to made and less skills. And obviously is more easy to train in the use of a spear that the use of a sword to a peasent. The sword use is a complete form of art by itself.

Most hoplites were nobles.

>Nevertheless, in celtic, italic, german tribes, swords were high status object along with armour.
>Celtics & Germanics

Among Celts, the Longsword is the prestige weapon. But most were able to afford short swords.

A lot of common warriors had the short stabby swords that the Romans lifted it off the Celts: the Gladius. Whose name itself came from the celtic word for "sword."

No. They were mostly citizens. Nobles either fucked around the battlefield on horses or formed special formations of elite hoplites.

citizens might as well have been nobles

No?

You can spot poor hoplites in a battle line when all they have is a shield, a pair of greaves, and a simple pot of a helmet. The beauty of the Hoplite formation is at the very basic all you need was a helmet and an aspis and you're set.

But the requirement is that you should have the aspis, the spear, and a sword. Lack all these and you'd be relegated to the Psiloi (Skirmishers).

>But the requirement is that you should have the aspis, the spear, and a sword. Lack all these and you'd be relegated to the Psiloi (Skirmishers).
Source?

No, but they weren't cheap.

No, but generally knights and other nobles were the only ones allowed to carry them within a town or city. These laws vary slightly by country but the general theme is that commoners only were allowed to have swords when traveling or serving as a man at arms/town militiaman for the local lord.

>en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psiloi
"In ancient Greece, the psiloi usually belonged to the poorest citizen classes; sometimes even unfree conscripts would be employed, such as the Peloponnesian helots. They were armed with a variety of missile weapons, such as the bow (toxa), javelin (akontia), sling (sfendonai) or even stones (lithoi). For defense, they had no armor and usually no shield, but would be equipped with a dagger or shortsword."

Hoplite equipment is expensive. But as a citizen you're still required to render military service. Since you can't afford to be in the Phalanx, you're given light infantry duties.